The term "higher order hydrocarbon" refers to a hydrocarbon having at least two carbon atoms.
A major source of methane is natural gas. Primary sources for natural gas are the porous reservoirs generally associated with crude oil reserves. From these sources come most of the natural gas used for heating purposes. Quantities of natural gas are also known to be present in coal deposits and are by-products of crude oil refinery processes and bacterial decomposition of organic matter. Natural gas obtained from these sources is generally utilized as a fuel at the site.
Prior to commercial use, natural gas must be processed to remove water vapor, condensible hydrocarbons and inert or poisonous constituents. Condensible hydrocarbons are generally removed by cooling natural gas to a low temperature and then washing the natural gas with a cold hydrocarbon liquid to absorb the condensible hydrocarbons. The condensible hydrocarbons are typically ethane and heavier hydrocarbons. This gas processing can occur at the wellhead or at a central processing station. Processed natural gas typically comprises a major amount of methane, and minor amounts of ethane, propane, the butanes, the pentanes, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Generally, processed natural gas comprises from about 50% to more than about 95% by volume of methane.
Most processed natural gas is distributed through extensive pipeline distribution networks. As natural gas reserves in close proximity to gas usage decrease, new sources that are more distant require additional transportation. Many of these distant sources are not, however, amendable to transport by pipeline. For example, sources that are located in areas requiring economically unfeasible pipeline networks or in areas requiring transport across large bodies of water are not amendable to transport by pipeline. This problem has been addressed in several ways. One such solution has been to build a production facility at the site of the natural gas deposit to manufacture one specific product. This approach is limited as the natural gas can be used only for one product, preempting other feasible uses. Another approach has been to liquefy the natural gas and transport the liquid natural gas in specially designed tanker ships. Natural gas can be reduced to 1/600th of the volume occupied in the gaseous state by such processing, and with proper procedures, safely stored or transported. These processes, which involve liquefying natural gas to a temperature of about -162.degree. C., transporting the gas, and revaporizing it are complex and energy intensive.
Still another approach has been the conversion of natural gas to higher order hydrocarbons that can be easily handled and transported. In this way easily transportable commodities may be derived directly from natural gas at the wellhead. The conversion of natural gas to higher order hydrocarbons, especially ethane and ethylene, retains the material's versatility for use as precursor materials in chemical processing. Known processes are available for the further conversion of ethane and ethylene to other useful materials.
The conversion of methane to higher order hydrocarbons at high temperatures, in excess of about 1200.degree. C. is known. These processes are, however, energy intensive and have not been developed to the point where high yields are obtained even with the use of catalysts. Catalysts that are useful in these processes (e.g., chlorine) are corrosive under such operating conditions.
The catalytic oxidative coupling of methane at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of from about 500.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C. has been investigated by G. E. Keller and M. M. Bhasin. These researchers reported the synthesis of ethylene via oxidative coupling of methane over a wide variety of metal oxides supported on an alpha alumina structure in Journal of Catalysis, 73, 9-19 (1982). This article discloses the use of single component oxide catalysts that exhibited methane conversion to higher order hydrocarbons at rates no greater than 4%. The process by which Keller and Bhasin oxidized methane was cyclic, varying the feed composition between methane, nitrogen and air (oxygen) to obtain higher selectivities.
West German Patent DE No. 32370792 discloses the use of single supported component oxide catalysts. The process taught by this reference utilizes low oxygen partial pressure to give a high selectivity for the formation of ethane and ethylene. The conversion of methane to ethane and ethylene is, however, only on the order of from about 4% to about 7%.
Methods for converting methane to higher order hydrocarbons at temperatures in the range of about 500.degree. C. to about 1000.degree. C. are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,443,644; 4,443,645; 4,443,646; 4,443,647; 4,443,648; and 4,443,649. The processes taught by these references provide relatively high selectivities to higher order hydrocarbons but at relatively low conversion rates, on the order of less than about 4% overall conversion. In addition to synthesizing hydrocarbons, the processes disclosed in these references also produced a reduced metal oxide which must be frequently regenerated by contact with oxygen. The preferred processes taught by these references entail physically separate zones for a methane contacting step and for an oxygen contacting step, with the reaction promoter recirculating between the two zones.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,172,810; 4,205,194; and 4,239,658 disclose the production of hydrocarbons including ethane, ethylene, propane, benzene and the like, in the presence of a catalyst-reagent composition which comprises: (1) a group VIII noble metal having an atomic number of 45 or greater, nickel, or a group Ib noble metal having an atomic number of 47 or greater; (2) a group VIb metal oxide which is capable of being reduced to a lower oxide; and (3) a group IIa metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium and strontium composited with a passivated, spinel-coated refractory support or calcium composited with a passivated, non-zinc containing spinel-coated refractory support. The feed streams used in the processes disclosed in these references do not contain oxygen. The references indicate that oxygen is avoided for the purposes of avoiding coke formation on the catalyst. Periodic regeneration of the catalysts disclosed in these references is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,310 discloses a methane conversion process for the production of olefins and hydrogen comprising contacting methane in the absence of oxygen and in the absence of water at a reaction temperature of at least 500.degree. C. with a catalyst comprising the mixed oxides of a first metal selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and mixtures thereof, a second metal selected from beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and mixtures thereof, and optionally a promoter metal selected from copper, rhenium, tungsten, zirconium, rhodium, and mixtures thereof.